Interview with 2nd year master’s student Erkka Vähä-Pietilä about his studies in Chemistry major

Högskolan för kemiteknik

If you are interested in energy storages, smart device or medicine, Chemistry offers you a strong scientific basis to take part in their development.

In our major, you can choose from a broad selection of advanced chemistry areas to specialize in computational chemistry, inorganic materials chemistry, electrochemistry or synthetic organic chemistry.

During your first year, you will familiarize yourself with fundamentals and practical work on these areas and after that will have a solid base to select your preferences for the remaining studies.

Depending of your own interests, you may enhance your future knowledge by combining your studies with chemical engineering, materials science or polymer technology, just as an example. Our graduates are employed as specialists in various branches of chemical and related industry or governmental offices.

Chemistry major also offers an excellent starting point for doctoral studies, if you pursue for deeper learning. Our professors are internationally acknowledged and have an extensive network that benefits your education. We also have excellent links to industry.

Welcome to the exciting world of chemistry!

General information

Study objectives

Graduates of the Chemistry major have a strong knowledge of fundamental chemistry optionally enhanced with chemical engineering, materials science and polymer science expertise to enable them to work as experts and scientists in various branches of chemical and related industry. Education in the Chemistry major offers a strong scientific basis in fundamental chemistry, both in theory and practical skills. Molecular and quantum mechanical level description of matter and chemical reactions gives the foundation for further studies in different study paths. The organic and inorganic study paths provide good knowledge on synthesizing and analyzing organic or inorganic materials. The physical chemistry study path focuses on electrochemistry, transport phenomena and computational chemistry.

Our inorganic chemistry group is one of the leading laboratories in layered materials synthesis in Europe. The organic chemistry group is internationally established in the field of asymmetric synthesis of natural products. The physical chemistry group exhibits a unique combination of electrochemistry and molecular modelling with applications to next generation batteries and hydrogen fuel economy; also thermodynamics and transport phenomena belong to its expertise. The analytical chemistry group is developing methods for chemical microdiagnosis.

Graduates of the programme will have achieved the key scientific and professional working methods of their area of specialisation and will be able to continuously deepen their knowledge by acquiring, evaluating and processing scientific, technical and professional information. They will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the challenges of the field from the point of view of users and technical and social systems, as well as from that of the environment and be able to use this knowledge in developing new solutions, also as members of multidisciplinary teams.

Language of instruction

English. Possibility to complete some courses in Finnish/Swedish.

Career opportunities

As a graduate of the programme you will have the skills and knowledge to work as pacesetter of your field in various managerial, planning and research duties serving industry or related stakeholders, the scientific community or public sector.

Post-graduate study options

Eligibility for doctoral studies.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Non-EU/EEA students selected to the study option will be charged a tuition fee of €15000 per academic year. They are eligible to apply for scholarships awarded from the Aalto University Scholarship programme. Further information is available on Scholarships and Tuition Fees page (aalto.fi).

Content of studies

Chemistry – discovering new molecules and materials

Learning outcomes

Core competences in scientific and engineering knowledge:

Knowledge of organic and inorganic materials and chemical reaction mechanisms to synthesize these materials.

Knowledge of chemical equilibria and kinetics in various chemical reactions and knowledge of quantum mechanics related to the chemical bond and spectroscopy.

Depending on the study path the major will offer comprehensive knowledge in:

Core scientific and engineering skills (the students should be able to apply knowledge in these):

All graduates from the program have a broad expertise in designing complex chemical projects. They can analyze the progress of the process and its products.

The graduates can utilize new scientific knowledge in the chemical industry.

The graduate can act as a chemistry expert in multidisciplinary groups of experts in the chemical industry.

Graduates in organic chemistry can design organic synthesis syntheses for future technological solutions and analyze the synthesis products. Such skills are very useful in pharmaceutical, fine organic materialschemistry, and polymer industry.

Graduates in inorganic chemistry are experts in materials chemistry. They can design materials synthesis procedures and analyze synthesis products.

Graduates in physical chemistry can solve versatile problems related to mass or heat transfer, and plan, perform and interpret electrochemical measurements. They can participate in development of electrochemical processes and devices, and they can perform complex molecular simulations.

Structure of studies

Two year full-time Master’s programme of 120 ECTS credits.

Degree includes:

65 cr major dependent studies

30 cr Master’s thesis

25 cr electives

You can find more information about major dependent studies and the degree on Into pages.

Major or specialization fields

Thesis

Students are required to complete a Master's thesis, which is a research assignment with a workload corresponding to 30 ECTS credits. Master's theses are typically performed in cooperation with the industry or in the research project(s) of the department(s).

Internationalisation

The study environment in the programme is strongly international and studies are conducted in multicultural groups. The international atmosphere shows in the everyday life on the school, where 37 percentage of academic personnel is from abroad. Our teaching methods support networking with people from diverse backgrounds. Aalto University offers many possibilities for you to develop your global competence by:

completing part of the degree abroad, for example a minor, in an international partner university as an exchange student

choosing courses with intercultural approach, learning foreign languages and/or becoming a student tutor for international students

conducting practical training or Master’s thesis outside Finland

taking summer courses abroad

several funding options available for internationalization

Corporate and other collaboration

One of the strengths of this Master’s programme is close cooperation with the industry: from industry assignments, projects in courses and special courses with teachers from the industry to conducting your Master’s thesis in a company. Furthermore, field trips and excursions to companies and research institutes of the field give new perspectives to studying. We recommend you to take part in these activities to enhance your position in the international job market. Many of the Finnish companies in the field operate internationally. In addition, departments have academic co-operation with high quality international universities and organisations.

You can include multidisciplinary studies to your degree by choosing courses from fields of arts and business within Aalto University. You can even take courses from other Finnish universities via The Flexible Study Right Agreement (JOO).

School of Chemical Engineering

Major Chemistry is a part of the Master's Programme in Chemical, Biochemical and Materials Engineering at the School of Chemical Engineering. The School of Chemical Engineering combines natural sciences and engineering in a unique way. This allows the results of our research to be refined a long way and put into practice as ready products and processes. Each innovation secures both our renewable and non-renewable natural resources for the future.

The School provides education for a wide range of responsible future professionals. M.Sc. and Ph.D. graduates in technology work in diverse positions in Finland's largest industrial sectors, in the metal and electronics industry, wood processing industries as well as chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and food industries. The research and teaching are supported by an extensive international academic and industrial cooperation network.

The focus areas of the education are the sustainable use and processing of natural resources and new materials, including their technical applications. In the studies towards the major, students acquire advanced knowledge in a specific area of biotechnology, chemical technology or material science and technology. The education leading to a master’s degree is based on the professional practices of fields requiring expertise in science and technology and on scientific research generating new knowledge. Students may choose their minors or elective study modules so that their degree is a combination of technology, business, and art, typical of Aalto University.

Students will adopt a responsible, goal-oriented and systematic way of working, and develop skills to work as experts in their area of specialisation both independently and in cooperation with experts of different fields, also in an international working environment. They will be able to express themselves clearly and unambiguously both orally and in writing and to tailor their communication to the target audience.

The School of Chemical Engineering trains Masters of Science (Technology) who have the skills and knowledge to work as pacesetters of the fields of biotechnology, chemical technology and material science and technology in various managerial, planning and research duties serving industry or related stakeholders, the scientific community or public sector. The studies of the programme provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for applying scientific knowledge and scientific methods independently and for continuing to doctoral education.

Graduates of the programme will have achieved the key scientific and professional working methods of their area of specialisation and will be able to continuously deepen their knowledge by acquiring, evaluating and processing scientific, technical and professional information. They will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the challenges of the field from the point of view of users and technical and social systems, as well as from that of the environment and be able to use this knowledge in developing new solutions, also as members of multidisciplinary teams.

Requirements

Programme-specific admission requirements

Applicants to the programme must first meet the general eligibility and language requirements that are common to all Master's programmes in Science and Technology.

The following principles apply during the academic evaluation of eligible applications. These principles are revised annually.

The student selection process is competitive. The applicant’s suitability for the programme is evaluated. The best applicants are granted admission to the programme. The selection of students is primarily based on the application documents. Not all eligible applicants will necessarily be admitted, CHEM Master’s programme does not have a minimum quota to be fulfilled.

The programmes reserve the right to interview the applicants if it is necessary to clarify the applicant’s motivation or other information in the application.

Chemistry specific criteria for academic evaluation

1. Content of the previous degree

B.Sc or equivalent degree of a relevant field in the natural sciences or engineering. Relevant degrees are e.g. in the fields of chemistry, chemical technology, physics. Preference is given to candidates with strong background in chemistry.

This Master’s programme should provide genuinely new knowledge and enhance the career prospects of the applicant. Thus, applicants who already have a Master’s degree in the closely related field will only be accepted onto the programme for very specific reasons. These reasons must be stated in the application.

2. Study success

The applicant's success in previous studies (those that give basis for applying into the programme) will be evaluated based on the grade point average (GPA) and results in key courses. Preference is given to students with a GPA average equivalent to minimum of 3.0 (on a scale 5.0 max).

The time taken to complete previous studies will also be taken into account. Applicants, who have previously studied at Aalto University, e.g. as exchange students, will also be evaluated according to the grades in those studies and the number of credits obtained in comparison to the time taken for completion.

3. Recognition and quality of the home university

The applicant's previous degree will be evaluated based on the recognition and quality of the university.

4. Motivation and commitment

The applicant must demonstrate genuine motivation (motivation letter, max. 1 page) to study the chosen field and be committed to full-time studies with a plan to complete the Master's degree in two years’ time. The applicant is asked to inform if applicant has a study right to another master or doctoral programme.

5. Language proficiency

The studies are conducted fully in English. The applicant must meet the mandatory language requirements of Aalto University. Student must be able to demonstrate that he/she is able to effectively use English as a working language.

6. Recommendation letter

Max. two recommendation letters can be attached to the application. Recommendation letter should be in English written by professor. It can be original letter or certified copy of it.

7. Other relevant achievements

The applicant's other relevant achievements may be considered if documented in the application.

These can be, for example:

experience of work in the field of the programme

participation in scientific research which has led to publications, posters

for applicants whose Bachelor's degree is from a Finnish university of applied sciences, prior completion of required complementary studies with good grades (transcript required)

other previous studies (transcript required)

Complementary studies

Students admitted to the Master's Programme in Chemical, Biochemical and Materials Engineering may be required to take complementary studies, max 20 credits. Complementary studies may not be included in the degree of Master of Science (Tech).

The content and number of the complementary courses depend on your previous studies. The complementary studies will be set latest in September.

Contact information

For enquiries regarding the content of programme and studies at the School of Chemical Engineering, please contact Learning Services of Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, [email protected]